This Was Berk
by Bea Scribens
Summary: A Chief protects his own, and Berk is no longer safe. As Hiccup helps his fellow Berkians get ready to leave their home, he finds himself returning to the places that shaped his past, with the people that will shape his future. Join Hiccup on a feels trip around the Isle of Berk. (Set during a gap in HTTYD: The Hidden World)
1. Chapter 1: Decisions

"I'm with him, who else?!"

Tuffnut's words were met with uneasy silence. He remained standing with his arms above his head for a second or two, but when it was clear that no-one was about to join in he slowly lowered them, and sunk back into his seat muttering something about them all being chicken.

Hiccup sighed. He didn't really blame his tribe for not being enthusiastic at the idea of leaving. But as far as he could see, it was their best option. Their only option.

He pushed off of the council table he was leaning on to stand tall, and started to speak again in a pained voice. "I know we all have memories tied up in this place, good and bad. And I'm not going to pretend that this is going to be easy. But look at how easily Drago managed to find and destroy the village."

The mention of Drago Bludvist sent a visible shudder through the Berkians assembled in the Great Hall. It had been over a year now, and they'd rebuilt and recovered – but how close they had all come to being killed by the tyrant was still icily fresh in their minds.

Hiccup took a steadying breath and continued. "And now Grimmel's managed to sneak in undetected and threatened to do the same. He's already succeeded in burning half the village to the ground, and there's multiple armadas headed our way. Even if we're able to defeat him – there's a whole _world _full of people just like him, just like Drago, waiting for the chance to take their place."

He looked to his left, where Eret stood with his arms crossed, keeping his eyes on the floor. His presence on Berk, on Hiccup's council no less, still attracted some suspicion from a handful of the older members of the tribe, despite Eret proving over and over again that he could be trusted. It was clear that at this moment, as they debated abandoning their home, his past was weighing upon him more than usual.

Hiccup briefly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, which caused Eret to glance up at the Chief, his frown slipping into a surprised "O" at the show of solidarity.

"We can change the minds of those willing to listen," Hiccup said emphatically, meeting Eret's eyes before turning back to face the village. "But some people _won't. _I learned that the hard way." His father's face drifted through his mind, and Hiccup tried to ignore the familiar pang of guilt that often accompanied thoughts of Stoick. "They're going to keep coming here, keep fighting us, keep trying to take or kill our dragons, _unless_ we do something drastic."

Now he looked to Snotlout, who still appeared to be vexed about Valka's agreeing with Eret earlier. "We're _not_ running away." Hiccup said firmly. Snotlout had the good sense to look slightly ashamed of his word choice.

"If we can find this Hidden World, we can truly live in peace. And a life of peace is all that every Chief of Berk has _ever_ strived for, my father included." Hiccup placed both hands onto the table in front of him, and leaned forward. "If you want to stay and fight, I will stay and fight with you. But there _is _another choice. This doesn't have to end in bloodshed."

The last of his words said, Hiccup sank into the Chief's chair behind him (he still had trouble thinking of it as _his _chair. In his mind, it would always be his Dad's). A low, uneasy murmur burbled up after a moment of quiet, as the people of Berk discussed what Hiccup was proposing.

After a minute or two, Astrid rose from her perch at the front corner of the table, and walked over to stand beside Hiccup. She squeezed the hand he had draped over the armrest, then let it go to whistle a long, piercing note to get everyone's attention. All talk died immediately.

"All those in favour of leaving Berk to find the Hidden World…?" She said simply, and without a second of hesitation she raised her hand.

A few other hands shot up immediately, mostly from the people he expected — his mother, Gobber, the gang (minus Fishlegs, who was still sprawled unconscious on the floor). But then slowly but surely, more hands were raised into the air. Until not one hand in the entire hall remained down.

They still looked unsure. Even Astrid, who knew him better than anyone. But they were willing to follow him, to believe that the latest of his crazy ideas was a sound one, though it didn't seem that way now. The thought strangely brought a lump to Hiccup's throat, but he swallowed it down and nodded.

"Start packing. We leave at dawn."


	2. Chapter 2: Unscathed

There was little that could be salvaged from the smouldering remains of what had, until hours ago, been Hiccup's home. He'd rescued a handful of books that were only mildly singed, and his father's belt, but the vast majority of his belongings were ash now. He placed the saved items carefully into a satchel that Astrid had sourced for him earlier, slung it over his shoulder, and then just stood for a while, looking at the charred mounds of broken wood.

Hiccup thought he should feel more bereft than he did. Maybe those emotions would come later. Right now he just felt... well, for lack of a better word, _released_.

He certainly had a great deal of happy memories that were associated with it but….he had spent so much of his life finding ways to escape that house.

And then it had just been his, and that was a million times worse.

It was strange, though, knowing that it wouldn't be rebuilt.

He wondered what his Father would have thought of them leaving.

"You spoke well, son."

Hiccup jumped; his mother had walked up to him so silently he hadn't heard her approach. She frowned slightly. "I've interrupted your thoughts, haven't I?"

"N-no no, it's fine. And thank you."

She glanced at the ruined building, putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. But Valka said nothing; she simply stood with him. Eventually Toothless decided he wanted in on the moment, and ducked under Hiccup's other arm, warbling conversationally at his friend and nudging his side. Both mother and son chuckled, breaking the silence.

"You're packed already?"

Valka nodded, letting her hand drop. "I don't have much I need to take with me."

Hiccup gestured to his destroyed house. "Me neither," he said wryly.

Her eyes softened, but she offered no words of condolence. In a way, Hiccup was kind of glad she didn't; he wasn't sure that he wanted them. Instead, she said "I thought Cloudjumper and I could rally some of the riderless dragons together to carry some ships. For the sheep."

"Good idea."

"…would you like to join us?"

Hiccup turned to look out over the village. Every possible lantern and fire was lit, illuminating the buildings of Berk enough that even from this distance, Hiccup could see the people ducking in and out of them. Though far more subdued, it sort of reminded him of the late night raids that had been the norm until six years ago. Which in turn reminded him of Stoick. He turned back to face Valka and shook his head, almost apologetically. "I think I'll stay up here a little bit longer."

Valka smoothed down a patch of Hiccup's unruly mop of hair with a gentle smile. "Alright." If she was disappointed, then she was doing an excellent job of hiding it. She gave Toothless a scratch under his chin, adding a soft "I'll see you both later." With one final pat of Hiccup's arm, she set off down the hill, leaving the pair alone again.

Toothless took Valka's departure as an invitation to examine the wreckage for himself. Hiccup absentmindedly watched the Night Fury snuffle around in the ash, memories of all that had transpired in this house flickering like candlelight through his head.

He was vaguely aware of Toothless digging into one of the mounds of blackened debris. He didn't think much of it until the dragon stuck his head into it, and re-emerged looking mightily pleased with himself, something small clenched in his teeth.

"Whatcha got there, bud?"

Toothless padded over, and plopped whatever he had in his mouth into Hiccup's outstretched hand, along with an ample amount of dragon slobber. "Ugh Toothless: you're gross, you know that right?" he said, the fondness in his tone undermining his words. He shook his hand forcefully to rid it – and the object – of the gelatinous substance.

And a breath caught in his throat.

It was a tad burnt, but had mostly survived the fire unscathed; one of the little wooden ducks that his father had whittled for Hiccup when he was a toddler.

Toothless smiled gummily up at Hiccup, who hugged his friend's head tightly. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick.

He slipped the duck into a pouch on his belt, and took one last look at the remnants of his home. Then, with a determined gleam in his eye and a hopeful smile tugging up the corners of his mouth, Hiccup said. "C'mon bud, we've got work to do."

Together they left the ruins behind, to go and help in the exodus preparations.


	3. Chapter 3: Happy

They headed to the blacksmith stall first. Gobber had no family to speak of, save Hiccup as a surrogate nephew of sorts, and a whole lot of stuff that would need transporting. Hiccup figured he was someone who'd need the extra set of hands (especially since Gobber only had one of his own).

He was surprised to find that someone else was already there.

"Hiccup!" Eret said brightly, carrying a large crate full of tools out into the courtyard. He nodded a hello at Toothless, who had already plopped himself on the ground to watch the people and dragons of Berk bustle by. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey Eret," Hiccup said, smiling a bit. "Where's Gobber?"

Eret plonked his load onto the ground with a muted _thud. _"Out the back. He's sorting out what can stay and what needs to come with us. And by us I mean the tribe. Not us as in – anyway." Hiccup could have sworn that Eret was blushing, but it was hard to tell in the dim firelight. "I'm just the muscle."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, grinning, and Eret shooed him inside with an embarrassed "Ack!" before picking up the crate again and heading, presumably, towards the stables.

While Hiccup had many complicated emotions tied up in his home, his feelings for the blacksmith stall were far more straightforward. He'd had no choice when it came to becoming Gobber's apprentice at eight years old, but it had rarely felt forced upon him. Gobber had always been a kind of intermediary between Hiccup and Stoick, a rock that had weathered both Haddock men's notorious stubbornness. And a friend, first and foremost.

Even though Gobber had been vocal about Hiccup's un-vikingness like the rest of Berk, he'd let Hiccup set up a study out the back and only grumbled about his tinkering when it interfered with the work Hiccup was supposed to be doing. It'd been a place where Hiccup had felt he could be himself, even if behind closed doors. When the blacksmith stall later morphed into a bustling one-stop shop for all things dragon, it had only cemented itself in Hiccup's mind as one of his happy places.

"Gobber?" Hiccup called out, weaving around the furnaces and scrap metal.

"Over here."

He found Gobber near the water mill that backed onto the premises, surrounded by an array of discarded saddles and shields. The blacksmith passed a hand roughly over his face, looking more weary than Hiccup had ever seen him.

"Need some help?"

Gobber barked a laugh. "Sortin' through seven generations worth of junk? Nah not really. I'm finding most of this we can just remake later." He picked up a sword that was lying on a nearby table, inspected it for a moment, and then chucked it to the ground. "I haven't got to your stuff yet though. You can have a crack at that if yeh want."

Hiccup nodded, but stayed where he was.

"What?"

"I don't think I've ever thanked you for all…this." Hiccup gestured at their surrounds. "So thank you."

Gobber stiffened in surprise. "Now why in Thor's name would yeh do that?"

Hiccup shook his head, knowing that he didn't have to elaborate further from the look that Gobber was giving him. He changed the subject. "It's good of Eret to help you pack."

Gobber's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to get something outta me?"

Hiccup raised his hands defensively. "I'm just saying you could do a lot worse."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do."

"No, I _don't_." Gobber's ears were going red.

"For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure he's interested in you, too."

"You'd better sto – really?"

Hiccup grinned triumphantly.

Gobber rolled his eyes, and shoved Hiccup good-naturedly in the direction of the study. "Oh go on, away with yeh."

Hiccup chuckled to himself as he walked away.

* * *

From the state of the study, it appeared that no-one had entered it since Hiccup had become Chief, and had more or less abandoned it.

It was exactly how he'd left it: a mess. Sheets of paper covered the desk, with half completed sketches of various inventions and wing-suit designs scrawled on them. More developed ideas were nailed to the wall above, and mini prototype machines littered the shelves, alongside a couple of old notebooks.

Hiccup smiled as he sifted through it all. It felt as if a younger Hiccup had only just left it, as if he'd only ducked out for a moment to go get something, and would be back any second.

There was little here that would be worth taking with him, but he was glad of the chance to be back in this room again, one last time.

He was about to leave when the corner of a thin brown notebook buried deep beneath the paper caught his eye.

"No way," he murmured, pulling it out and flicking through the pages.

Sure enough, when he reached the middle, there was his first sketch of Toothless, smudges and all. And in the pages following, the designs for multiple iterations of his prosthetic tail-fin, including the automatic one Hiccup had made for Snoggletog one year.

Hiccup slipped it into his satchel.

With a final, affectionate glance around the room, he left, closing the door quietly behind him.


	4. Chapter 4: Squabble

Eret was back for another lot of cargo, and talking with Gobber, when Hiccup emerged from the study. They weren't saying anything private – they weren't even talking quietly, anyone walking past could have overheard them – but when Hiccup cleared his throat to alert them to his presence, both men whirled around looking as if he'd caught them stealing.

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can do here Gobber?" Hiccup asked, managing to clamp down on his amusement quickly enough for it to not show on his face.

"Positive. Eret and I have got it all under control." The pair glanced at each other once, smiling, before remembering that Hiccup was there, and then pointedly went about not looking at one another.

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll go see if anyone else needs help."

"Uh, Hiccup?" Eret said, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. "Maybe swing by the stables if you can – there were a few squabbles going on over resources. Nothing serious, but a couple of them looked like they might escalate. And the dragons were starting to get antsy."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Looks like that's where I'm going first, then. Thanks for the heads up." He raised his hand in a wave, and made his way out of the blacksmith.

He found Toothless sleeping exactly where he'd left him. Sometimes he envied how quickly the dragon was able to doze off. Though it clearly wasn't a deep slumber, as Toothless roused at the sound of his approaching footsteps. Toothless looked at him curiously as he swung himself into the saddle.

"We might have to pull rank in a minute, bud." Hiccup said, and then added dryly, mostly to himself "This is going to be fun."

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless could hear the ruckus before they even reached the entrance to the stables. As they landed, some words were shouted loud enough to discern over the agitated growling of dragons:

"Troll-face!"

"You steaming heap of-"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!"

Hiccup closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb, and exhaled forcefully through his nostrils. "Gods give me strength," he muttered. Then he opened his eyes, removing his hand as he did so, and dismounted.

A quick snarl from Toothless was enough to quiet all the dragons in the vicinity, but absolutely none of the humans noticed Hiccup entering the hangar; they were too busy being engaged in an all-out brawl. Fists were flying, and curses were being hurled in all directions. Hiccup was both unsurprised and exasperated to see Spitelout Jorgenson in the middle of it all. Though he was slightly mollified by the fact that Snotlout appeared to be trying to haul his father _out, _rather than joining in himself (for once).

"HEY!"

Nothing happened. The fighting continued.

Oh to have the booming voice of his father…

He put his fingers in his mouth and let rip an ear-splitting whistle, which was finally enough to break through the noise. The punch-up stilled immediately.

"Come on_, _you're ALL better than this."

The group untangled themselves, looking more like petulant children than the proud men and women Hiccup knew them to usually be. "What was that about?"

A few people all started talking at once, including Spitelout, and Hiccup figured that these were the likely instigators of the brawl. He couldn't get a clear idea of who was actually in the wrong, as their words all piled on top of each other to the point he only caught a few of them. "Hang on – this is all over who gets the last wood slat?"

The ensuing silence told him he'd got the gist. He shook his head. "We're _Vikings. _We have _boats, _for Thor's sake_. _And more than enough dragons to carry them._" _Hiccup cracked his neck, then his knuckles. "Okay, who rides a dragon big enough to carry the slat alone?"

Hiccup fought the urge to roll his eyes, as only Spitelout and one other person – Freja, one of the bakers – raised their hand. He loved his people, he did, but sometimes…

"Freja, there's what, five in your family, isn't there?"

"Yes, Chief." The woman said begrudgingly.

"So you're going to have more cargo than Spitelout and Snotlout, yeah?"

Freja crossed her arms, seeing where Hiccup was going with his line of inquiry and not liking it one bit. "Yes, probably."

"Spitelout, Snotlout – have you got anything to load your stuff onto yet?"

Snotlout spoke up. "I've got a slat already, but Dad'll need one too."

"Will a slat each be enough?"

Spitelout cut across his son before he could answer. "Plenty, Chief." He said with an edge to his voice. Hiccup couldn't figure out whether it was directed at him or Snotlout; he decided not to inquire.

He forced a half-smile onto his face instead. "Great! So if you two are okay to organise your own stuff," he turned back to Freja and the ten or so other people that had been involved. "I'll help the rest of you get a ship stocked up." When no-one moved, he added, "Now?" trying desperately not to sound like he was nagging (he wasn't nagging, was he?).

It was enough to get people mobile though. The Jorgenson's took one end of the disputed slat each and carried it out of the hangar, Hookfang slinking after them. With only minimal grumbling, Freja and the others started to disperse, too. Hiccup sucked in a breath, and shared a look with Toothless that amounted to _Yikes_, before following the group to their homes.


	5. Chapter 5: Solidarity

Hiccup was hauling the last of another family's belongings onto a longboat when he saw a familiar hulking frame lumbering down the pier.

"Fishlegs! You're up!" Hiccup called out.

"Finally," Fishlegs replied as he approached them. "Whatever it is that Grimmel uses in those darts is definitely strong enough to down a dragon."

Hiccup passed a coil of rope to one of the men he'd been helping, and jumped off the side of the boat onto the gangplank. "Thanks for taking that one." He said, walking down to where Fishlegs stood. "I know the whole plan sort of fell apart in the end but-"

"It's fine, Hiccup. I was happy to." He rubbed his neck. "Though I'd prefer not to do it again any time soon. My head is still pounding."

Hiccup frowned, finally reaching his friend. "Hopefully _no-one _will have to."

"Yeah, well…" Fishlegs mumbled. "That's sort of the point of us all leaving, isn't it?" He said it more as a statement than a question, and looked at Hiccup steadily.

Hiccup flinched in surprise, and nodded. "You seem to have warmed to the idea quicker than…well, everyone."

Fishlegs shrugged. "I wouldn't say I've warmed to it. I just know you'd never push for anything that you weren't convinced was in everyone's best interest. Besides," He looked back up towards Berk, then to Hiccup again. "When I woke up everyone was already packing."

"Ah…er…hmm." Hiccup stammered, trying to come up with the right thing to say and ultimately coming up with nothing.

Fishlegs smiled shyly. "We trust you, Hiccup. All of us."

Again stuck for words, Hiccup only managed a simple but genuine "Thank you," in response.

"Anyway," Fishlegs said, shuffling his feet. "My family and I are all ready to go. I was wondering if there was anything you wanted me to do."

"Oh! Okay. Um…" Hiccup placed both hands on his hips and huffed out a breath, considering. "Well Mom's herding up the sheep at the moment, she might need some help…" He trailed off, thinking about it properly for a moment or two…until his eyes sparked with the beginnings of an idea. An idea so obviously important he couldn't believe it had only occurred to him now. "Actually no. Come with me."

* * *

"Are you sure you trust _me_ to do this?"

"Of course."

"But…this is _Berk_, Hiccup. I draw dragons, I can't do landscapes or buildings or-"

"Fishlegs, you'll be fine."

"Can't you do it?

Hiccup clapped a hand on his friend's broad shoulder. "Not alone. C'mon," He said, pulling his old notebook from his satchel. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and not a whole lot of hours left to do this in."

Fishlegs still didn't look convinced, but he rummaged through Meatlug's saddle bag until he found a wad of paper and a cluster of charcoal pencils. He handed one to Hiccup. "So how are we divvying it up then?"

"How about you start here," Hiccup said, gesturing up to the Great Hall behind them. "Then work your way out. Do the arena, the blacksmith, Gothi's place maybe. Ask people what places they want recorded most if you're not sure." He inclined a head to Toothless, who was nibbling at an itch in his arm pit and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation. "We'll do the stuff on the perimeter. Cause – no offense – we'll be faster. I don't think you and Meatlug will be able to cover the distance in time."

"Okay," Fishlegs said shakily. He gulped down a breath. Then another. "Okay."

"You can do this Fishlegs. I wouldn't ask if I thought otherwise."

Fishlegs smiled weakly in response, so weakly in fact that it was really just a grimace. But he nodded, and started up the stairs.

"Hey Fishlegs?" Hiccup called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Can you start spreading the word for everyone to head up to the Hall when they're ready to go?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

Hiccup started with the hangar. It'd been abuzz with activity only an hour or two ago, when he'd had to mediate the fight over the slat, but it was completely devoid of life now. He tried to inject some back in as he sketched; tried to draw it as he saw it, yes, but also how it _had _been. Full of dragons and people alike, and always noisy with chatter from both. It didn't take long to create something he was satisfied with – an hour at most – and then he and Toothless were off again.

Back down to the docks, where they could see Valka and Cloudjumper still ferrying sheep onto a longboat, and a number of other Berkians tying down the last of their things, with their dragons perched patiently on masts and piers. Hiccup had Toothless stay airborne while he drew this time, aiming to capture the view of the docks that one had on dragon back, or from standing on the decking that jutted out over them. Valka spotted the pair hovering in the sky, and lifted a hand in a wave. The illustration of this part of Berk was rendered even more rapidly than the one of the hangar, and so they flew a bit further out.

Toothless landed on the head of the old Viking statue that marked the entry into Berk's waters. The Night Fury kept his wings outstretched to try and shelter Hiccup from the sea breeze — not to keep him warm (he was clad in more than enough leather for that), but to keep the paper still. He watched curiously as Hiccup sat cross legged on the weathered stone, and started to draw.

Hiccup's nimble, calloused hands skirted this way and that across the page, immortalizing the view that he had taken so much for granted all these years. He wanted to ensure that the memory of this place would not be lost to the ravages of time and distance. So that when another three centuries had passed, this wet heap of rock might still mean something to someone.

He hoped it was enough.

"What do you think bud?" Hiccup said after a long, long while, angling his book up so that Toothless could see his artistry. What had started out as one drawing of Berk had morphed into pages of them, each one focusing on a particular stretch of the coast-line. It was only in the last one that he'd drawn the Isle of Berk in its entirety; every house, cliff-face, tree and dragon perch, all illuminated by the full moon, now that the storm from earlier in the evening had passed. It was all there, in the detailed, intricate illustration of their home.

Toothless sniffed at Hiccup's handiwork once, then licked Hiccup's face to show how much he liked it.

"Arrrghh, Toothless!" He exclaimed, laughing. "Thanks for the endorsement."

Hiccup clamped his notebook shut, and clambered upright. "Almost done, bud," he said as he swung himself into the saddle on Toothless' back, patting the dragon's shoulder when he was seated. "There's just one more place I want to go to."


	6. Chapter 6: Special

The cove, unlike the rest of Berk, had remained largely unchanged. The full moon was reflected in the large pool of water that dominated the space, refracting the light in all directions so that everything shimmered slightly. The gentle _shhhhh _of the lone waterfall in the background, and the slight rustling of the trees bordering the land above, made it seem as if the wilderness was whispering to itself.

Toothless landed with a shudder near the water's edge, and emitted the dragon equivalent of a contented sigh. A similar sound escaped from Hiccup. He said nothing as he slid off of Toothless' back. Both young man and dragon were still for a moment, as they surveyed their old sanctuary.

Hiccup had many spots around the Isle that he'd disappeared to in his life. Some he'd abandoned, for one reason or another, and some he still retreated to when he needed an hour or two of quiet. But here… here was different.

Toothless padded over to the raised mound of earth that he liked to sleep on. He'd scorched the ground so many times in this particular spot that the grass had stopped growing back. He scorched it again for the last time, and curled up in a tight ball on top of it, eyeing Hiccup with a contemplative stare.

Hiccup pulled out his notebook and pencil but hesitated, sagging as the weight of all that this little, hidden place had borne witness to sunk in.

Two of the most important relationships in his life had begun here.

Hiccup closed his eyes, the memory of Toothless leaning into his hand as clear in his head as if it had happened yesterday. Of Astrid, looking shocked when she realised that he would do _anything_ to protect his friend. Of the first time she'd kissed him, just moments later.

Of coming back here just after he'd lost his leg, and finding the claw marks from where Toothless had, through sheer force of will, hauled himself out to save him from the kill ring.

And all the lazy afternoons in the years that followed, where he'd snuck up here with Astrid — just them and their dragons — for some undisturbed alone time. Of one lazy afternoon where he'd turned to Astrid and murmured "I wish we could have a whole lifetime of this," and she'd replied with a tiny smile "We can, you know." And just like that, they'd been betrothed.

Or how he'd returned here just after losing his Dad, and spent his first night as Chief sleeping under the stars, because the house felt too empty without him.

Hiccup's eyes slid open. He opened the notebook, his pencil poised and ready to sketch. He took a deep breath. Then another. And…

He closed the book.

He wasn't going to draw this.

Hiccup slipped the drawing materials back into his satchel, and glanced back at Toothless. The Night Fury's expression had not changed, but he dipped his head a little, as if he understood.

The cove belonged to memories. It deserved to stay secret, and special, and _theirs. _

"I thought I might find you here."

Hiccup whirled around to find Astrid sitting cross-legged on top of a boulder; the very same one she had been sitting on all those years ago, when she'd followed him here. But this time she was smiling down at him instead of scowling. Wisps of her long blonde hair rippled in the breeze.

"Am I that predictable?" Hiccup asked, walking over to her.

"Sometimes." She slid down the rock-face to stand in front of him.

Hiccup smirked once, but the smile quickly slipped into a thoughtful line. "I… I wanted to say goodbye to this place." He shook his head, and a smile drifted onto his face again. "Anyway. You packed?"

"Yeah. We all are." It was her smile that disappeared now, and she ran a hand through his hair, adding softly "It's almost sunrise, babe."

Hiccup glanced up at the sky. Indeed, the inky black had, at some point or another, lightened into a greyish-blue.

"I guess I lost track of time." He extended a hand, which she took, and he laced his fingers with hers. "Thanks for finding me."

Astrid rolled her eyes, but her smile returned. "I've gotten pretty good at it over the years. It's a full-time occupation."

"Lucky you have a tracking dragon then."

"Oh ha ha, very funny."

"Speaking of – where's Stormfly?" For indeed, the dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"Down with my parents. I walked here." Astrid stood on her tip-toes so she could see over Hiccup's shoulder. "Mind giving me a lift back?" She asked Toothless, who bounded over to lick her face. Both Astrid and Hiccup chuckled. Hiccup gently wiped the mess off her face with his free hand, and, once it was gone, kissed her forehead.

Astrid's smile grew simultaneously wider and softer, but she pulled her hand free of Hiccup's and poked him once in the side. "C'mon you two, we need to get going."

"As milady commands." Hiccup pulled himself up into the saddle, and offered Astrid a hand. They caught each other's eye as she grasped it, remembering that first shared flight where he'd done the same thing, and she'd batted it away.

"No dunking us in the ocean this time, Toothless," Astrid said, suppressing a laugh as she swung herself up behind Hiccup, and locked her arms around his waist.

Toothless made a noise that meant something like _That was _one _time; _once his passengers were both seated comfortably, he shot into the sky.


	7. Chapter 7: Together

Toothless landed them right at the entrance to the Great Hall, partially out of efficiency, and mostly because it was about the only patch of space available. The dragons of Berk were perched on every structure imaginable, occupying every spot of vacant land left, and it struck Hiccup just how many dragons inhabited the Isle now. No wonder they'd become such a target.

He and Astrid slid off of Toothless' back. The doors to the hall were closed, but they could hear the low murmur of conversation coming from within.

"Do you mind waiting here, bud?" Hiccup asked the Night Fury, who sat on his hind quarters with a huff in response. Hiccup scratched him once behind the ear. "I won't be long."

He turned to Astrid, unslinging the satchel from his shoulder as he did so. "Any chance you have room for this in one of your saddle bags?"

She nodded and took it from him, hugging it to her chest.

He gazed briefly back down towards the village. It was a surreal experience; knowing that all the buildings and houses he was looking at were now empty, and would remain so… somehow it felt like they'd already left. A strange mix of sadness and excitement brewed in his stomach. He turned back to Astrid, and murmured with the echoes of a smile, "It begins."

Hiccup pushed the doors open with both hands, revealing the human population of Berk. All heads turned in his direction as the loud creak of the hinges announced his entrance. Conversation stuttered to a halt as he jogged up to the front of the room. His voice echoed across the hall. "Is everyone ready?"

A few 'yes's, a handful of smiles. A lot of sombre nods.

"Toothless and I will take the lead. Make sure you look out for each other, stick together, and call out if you need help at any point. It's almost sunrise." He paused, then said simply, "Saddle up."

People started shuffling towards the open doors, and Hiccup waited until the hall had mostly cleared before following them.

Astrid had left to find Stormfly, but Toothless was still waiting for him on the landing, and he perked up when he saw Hiccup emerge.

Hiccup smiled. He climbed back up onto the dragon's back and, once he was seated, looked up to the statue of Stoick that was carved out of the mountain side. "Bye, Dad," he said softly; then, after a moment or two, he leaned into Toothless' head and said, "Time to go, bud."

Toothless roared once, and took off with a leap, speeding out over the rooftops towards the sea. They hovered just out from the coast, watching as the rest of Berk took to the sky. It was an impressive sight to behold; in the dim pre-dawn light, they looked like an enormous flock of misshapen bats. Boats began to drift upwards too, looking as if they were sailing on the wind. He made a mental note to draw it at some point, for it was a vision so unlikely that it had to be preserved somehow. No-one would believe it otherwise.

He saw the familiar shapes of Stormfly, Cloudjumper, and the rest of his friend's dragons, break away from the throng, and start heading in his and Toothless' direction. As they got close enough for Hiccup to see the outline of their riders, rays of light suddenly beamed up from the east. The sunrise illuminated all of the Isle in a warm, golden glow, as if in one final salute.

Hiccup beamed back, his heart full and his mind set.

With a gentle spur, he turned Toothless towards the west, and both the people and dragons of Berk soared into the horizon.

Together.


End file.
